In the early 1950s, amateur African-American vocal groups made recordings aimed at black audiences that quickly became successful on the pop charts. These groups often consisted of a lead vocalist who sang innocent lyrics about heartbreak in soaring falsetto backed by bass, baritone and tenor vocalists who provided unorthodox harmonies and imitated instruments through the use of nonsense syllables such as "doo wop" (hence the genre's name), "sh-bop" or "ooh be doo." Doo wop was an important part of the birth of rock and roll, and the style enjoyed great success amongst American teenage audiences throughout the '50s. Key doo-wop artists include The Platters, the Penguins, and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.